Paper towel dispensing cabinet



May 7, 1968 1.. J. BASTIAN PAPER TOWEL DISPENSING CABINET Filed Sept. 14, 1 966 2 Sheets-Sheen]. l

INVENTOR. LEHYMAN J. BASTIAN 3 3%7344 ATTORNEY.

y 1968 L. J. BASTIAN PAPER TOWEL DISPENSING CABINET Filed Sept. 14, 1966 F2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illllllllllllillllll INGENTOR. LEHYMAN J. BASTIAN BY ATTORNEY.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper towel dispensing cabinet is disclosed which incorporates in combination a number of structural features which selectively and co-operatively permit serial withdrawal of towels of any one of several types, for example, folded paper towels of the C-fold, single-fold, and multifold types. The dispensing cabinet has a bottom wall with a dispensing opening of the desired shape formed therein. The dispensing opening has a configuration which permits serial withdrawal of towels of a variety of types from the bottom of a stack of the towels in the cabinet when they are presented in the proper position for that type of towel. The cabinet also includes a movable back wall adapted for movement into one of a variety of fixed positions spaced relatively from the front wall which enables it to position the stack of towels in the cabinet relative to the dispensing opening in the desired manner. The dispensing cabinet also includes rear towel stack support means which are arranged to support the rear edge of the bottommost towel in the stack when the back wall is in one of its predetermined discrete positions. The cabinet also includes towel stack weight releasing means which may be selectively advanced into operative engagement with the stack of towels to reduce the weight on the bottommost towel of the stack.

This invention relates to a new and improved paper towel dispensing cabinet and, more particularly, to a dispensing cabinet capable of dispensing a multiplicity of different types of folded paper towels such as C-fold, single-fold and multi-fold towels.

In the past, there have been several varieties of paper towel cabinets which have been designed to dispense more than one type of towel. Cabinets of this type are desirable for several reasons, one being that it enables towel users to have greater flexibility in purchasing from different manufacturers having different towel products to obtain a more competitive price, Some of these cabinets were capable of dispensing two or more of the C-fold, single-fold and multi-fold types of towels However, these cabinets were generally quite complex in construction and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, in order to allow the reliable dispensing of different types of towels, it has generally been found necessary to supply additional parts to the cabinet in sets which could be interchanged in order to convert the dispensing device arranged for use with one type of folded towel to an arrangement for use with the other type of folded towel. These interchangeable parts or dispenser-converting members often become lost or misplaced during use of one particular type of towel and subsequent convertability of the cabinet to enable it to dispense another type of folded towel is then not possible.

The present invention is directed to a towel dispensing cabinet which makes possible the improved dispensing of different types of folded paper towels, merely by the convenient adjustment of simple mechanisms within the cabinet to control certain factors in a preferred manner effecting the dispensing of certain types of folded paper towels. With slight modification, the dispensing cabinet of the invention can be adapted to dispense folded paper towels of almost any type.

d States Patent 0 3,38l,$52 Patented May 7, 1968 Dispensers of folded paper towels are utilized by many institutions largely in areas frequented by a high volume of users. Reliable dispensing continuity is extremely important and the difficulty of achieving this increases with an increase in the number of different types of towels to be dispensed from the same fixture or cabinet. The dispensing continuity of a given type of towel from a fixture has been found to depend upon a number of structural features of the fixture. Where different types of towels are to be dispensed from the same cabinet, some of these structural features must also be changed. In addition, some structural features necessary for the reliable dispensing of one type of towel will be redundant in the dispensing of another type of towel, and often must be withdrawn or removed to avoid interference.

The paper towel dispensing cabinet of the invention makes possible the reliable dispensing of at least three basic types of folded towels: C-fold, single-fold, and multifold. This is accomplished by means of a cabinet which includes all of the structural features preferred for reliable dispensing of each type of towel. In accordance with the invention, these structural features are present as integral members or portions of the cabinet and are adapted for convenient selective movement from ositions desirable for the satisfactory dispensing of the one type of towel into relatively altered positions found preferable for improved dispensing of one or both of the other two abovementioned types of towels.

Thus, an important feature of the dispensing cabinet of the invention is a bottom wall having a dispensing opening of the desired shape formed therein. The dispensing opening is designed to permit serial withdrawal of towels of any one of the above-mentioned three types of towels from the bottom of a stack when the towels are presented in the proper position on the side of the dispensing opening facing the inside of the cabinet. In accordance with the in ention, a movable back wall is provided in the cabinet and arranged to be moved toward and away from the front wall of the cabinet and to be fixed in a plurality of discrete positions spaced relatively from the front wall. This back wall controls the position of the bottommost towel of a stack of towels within the cabinet relative to the dispensing opening in the bottom wall so that it is in the predetermined and proper position for withdrawal. The back wall also cooperates with the front wall of the cabinet to control the position of the upper portion of the stack and to support some of the weight of the upper portion of the stack to reduce stack pressure on the bottom towel of the stack.

In addition, rear towel stack support means are provided in the cabinet of the invention and arranged to support the rear edge of the bottommost towel of a stack of towels within the cabinet in an elevated position when the back wall is in one of its predetermined discrete positions. For dispensing certain types of towels, it is desirable in addition to release some of the weight of the towel stack from the bottommost towel. In accordance with the invention, the cabinet contains towel stack weight releasing means, operable separately from and in addition to the front wall and back walls, which may be selectively advanced into operative engagement with the stack of towels to reduce the weight on the bottommost towel of the stack. Alternatively, where a different type of towel is to be dispensed, they may be withdrawn from engagement with the stack of towels.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved dispensing cabinet for dispensing any of the following types of paper towels: C-fold, single-fold and multi-fold.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a cabinet capable of dispensing any of the above-mentioned types of towels merely by the convenient adjustment of mechanisms within the cabinet to alter structural features preferred for improved dispensing of one type of folded towel to provide for improved dispensing of at least one other type of towel.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of a dispensing cabinet of the invention with its front wall opened to expose the interior.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation view of a cabinet of the invention taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is an elevation view of the bottom wall of a cabinet of the invention taken along line 33 of FIG- URE 2 and illustrating the nature of the dispensing opening therein,

FIGURE 4 is a greatly enlarged perspective 'view of a towel stack weight release means illustrating its respective positions when engaged and when not engaged,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2, illustrating latching means employed to retain the back wall in one of its preselected discrete positions,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view illustrating a portion of the cabinet of the invention and the position of single-fold towels therein adjacent the dispensing open-ing,

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view illustrating a portion of the cabinet of the invention and the position of C-fold towels therein adjacent the dispensing opening, and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view illustrating a portion of the cabinet of the invention and the position of multi-fold towels therein adjacent the dispensing opening.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG- URES 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a towel cabinet comprising a housing 10 having a top wall 11, a bottom wall 12, side walls 13 and 14, a back wall 15 and a front wall 16. The front wall 16 is shown in FIGURE 1 in the open position and is pivotally mounted along one side thereof adjacent the front edge of side wall 14 of the cabinet. In this manner the interior of the cabinet is exposed for the insertion of a replacement stack of folded paper towels. This also makes accessible for adjustment the various mechanisms employed within the cabinet illustrated to enable the dispensing of different types of folded paper towels, all of which are described in detail below. Means are provided for securing the front wall 16 in the closed position for covering the front face of the cabinet and retaining a stack of towels therein. The back wall 15 is pivotally suspended at each end of its upper edge 17 so as to allow swinging movement of the back wall 15 and of the lower edge 18 thereof through. an arc path lying between the rear edge 19 of the bottom wall 12 and the front of the cabinet.

The baclr wall 15 has vertical slots or cutout portions 20 formed into its lower edge 18 and extending upwardly. A pair of spaced flanges 21 depend upwardly from the inside surface of the bottom wall 12 intermediate the side walls 13 and 14. These flanges 21 are aligned with the cutout portions 20 so that they pass through the back wall 15 as it swings forward along its arc path. Flanges 21 are spaced from respective side walls 13 and 14 by a distance of up to about one-fourth of the width of the cabinet although different spacing may be used and a different number of flanges 21 might be employed as with wider towels. The upper edge of each flange 21 terminates in an outwardly depending flange lip 22 and generally inclines downwardly from the rear to the front of the flange. This inclination facilitates the withdrawal of towels from the cabinet and the wider flange 22 gives more support to the stack while reducing friction between the bottom towel and the flange.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the relationship between the upwardly depending flanges 21 employed as rear stack support means for elevating the rear edge of the bottommost towel of the stack when the back wall 15 is in its various positions. An important relationship exists between the position of the back wall 15 and the forward extension of these upstanding support means 21., which is pointed out subsequently with regard to the various types of towels to be dispensed.

Latch means are provided in the cabinet to maintain the back wall 15 in the desired position. These latch means comprise a movable latch member 23 pivotally attached to the lower corner of each side of the back wall 15 and three slots 24 in each side wall 13 and 14 of the cabinet adapted to receive the movable latch member 23. These movable latch members 23 may be selectively disposed in a set of corresponding slots 24 in side walls 13 and 14 to properly position the back wall 15 for the dispensing of one type of folded paper towels.

FIGURE 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation view of the latching means employed to fix the back wall 15 in a predetermined position along its arc path. The latching means comprise a movable latch member 23 pivotally mounted onto the lowermost corner of each side of the back wall 15. This movable latch member 23 is arranged to be moved through an arc path about a pivot pin 33 by means of a hand tool acting on a slot 32 in pivot pin 33 from the front of the back wall 15. A latch portion of the movable latch member 23 is adapted to be advantced into one of slots 24 in the sidewall 13. The edges of slot 24 prevent movement of the member 23 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of its arc path and correspondingly, the swinging movement of the back wall 15.

FIGURE 3 illustrates more clearly the nature of the bottom wall 12 and shows the dispensing opening 25 therein. The dispensing opening 25 has a generally increasing width toward the central portion thereof which is greater than its width at the ends. The dispensing opening 25 has a back edge 26 which inclines rearwardly of the cabinet from the sides thereof towards the center. The front edge 27 of dispensing openings 25 is in the form of a concave curve centrally so that the dispensing opening 25 protrudes outwardly centrally toward the front of the cabinet. That is, the central portion of the bottom wall 12 is cut away or relieved toward the front of the cabinet as shown in FIGURE 3.

However, near the ends of dispensing opening 25 at each side of the cabinet, the concave curvature of front edge 27 changes to a convex curvature leaving portions of bottom wall 12 which project into the dispensing opening slightly to serve as supporting flanges useful in the dispensing of certain types of towels as will be pointed out subsequently. Thus, the dispensing opening has relatively narrow, slot-like portions at each end thereof, but is wider at its central portion to allow access to a towel to be dispensed and to allow the flap of that towel to protrude slightly through the dispensing opening 25. The importance of the shape of the front and back edge of the dispensing opening will be pointed out subsequently with regal-1d to the dispensing of particular types of folded paper towe s.

It should be noted that an important relationship exists between the positions of the lower end 18 of the back wall 15 and the back edge 26 of the dispensing opening 25 and that this relationship depends upon the particular type of folded towel being dispensed. The rearwardmost set of slots 24 in sidewalls 13 and 14 is spaced forwardly of the rear edge of bottom wall 12. The forwardmost set of slots 24 in sidewalls 13 and 14 is spaced just rearward of the most rearward extending portion of back edge 26 of dispensing opening 25. A third set of slots 24 is spaced between the forwardmost and rearwardmost sets in side walls 13 and 14. These slots 24 control the relative spacing and alignment of back wall with the back edge 26 of dispensing opening in a preselected manner as is described subsequently.

The position and spacing of slots 24 relative to each other depend to a large extent upon the depth of particular folded paper towels, that is, their dimension in the folded, stacked position from the front to the rear of the cabinet. These slots 24 are positioned so that the towels near the bottom of the stack are compressed slightly between the front wall 16 and the "back wall 15. This compression serves to reduce some of the stack weight from the bottommost towel by carrying a portion of the weight thereof on the front and back walls. Other means might be employed to adjustably secure back wall 15 to side walls 13 and 14 in different positions.

The sidewalls 13 and 14 have stack pressure release means, indicated generally by reference number 28, mounted therein which, in one position, are adapted to liftingly engage the end edges of towels in the stack to carry some of their weight and to partially impede their movement toward the bottom of the dispenser. This reduces the pressure on the bottomrnost towel of the stack which is important in the dispensing of certain types of folded paper towels. The stack pressure release means 28 are adapted to be withdrawn from engagement with the end edges of the towels in the stack when their use is not required or desired as is the case with certain types of folded paper towels.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate in greater detal the construction of the stack pressure release means 28 employed on one side wall 13 of the cabinet when it engages the end edges of the towel and when it is withdrawn into the side of the cabinet and out of engagement with the towels. The stack pressure release means 28 comprises a resilient portion 29 depending downwardly along the side 3.3 of the cabinet and extending inwardly through an opening 31 therein into the interior of the cabinet. The top end of the resilient portion 29 is fixed to the side 13 of the cabinet as by a rivet. The bottom end of resilient portion 2? has an outwardly depending portion 30, the outermost end of which is adapted to temporarily engage the side 13 of the cabinet by mechanically interlocking with a slot therein. This causes the resilient portion 29 to be projected into the interior of the cabinet in a position whereby it engages the ends of towels in a stack of towels therein. Thus, the outwardly depending portion 30 serves as a support or prop to hold resilient portion 29 in the towel engaging position.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate the position of the stack pressure release means 28 when the outwardly depending portion 30 has been disengaged from the sidewall 13 of the cabinet allowing the resilient portion 29 to move outwardly of the cabinet and to withdraw from towel engagement through the opening 31 into the side wall 13. The lower end of each resilient portion 29 is preferably bent inwardly at a slight angle to the upper portion thereof to form a slight shelf or lip which more definitely engages the bottomrnost of the towels contacted by the stack pressure release means 28. It should be clearly understood that other types of stack pressure release means 28 are also contemplated for use in the cabinet of the invention. For example, a flange could pivotably be mounted in side wall 13 and adapted for arcuate movement toward the interior of the cabinet into engagement with the end edges of folded paper towels therein. Means could be provided for fixing the flange in the desired position of engagement.

One set of stack pressure release means 28 is pref erably located adjacent the bottom of the cabinet to release stack pressure from the bottommost towel of the stack due to all but the relatively few towels in the stack positioned below the bottom end of the resilient portion 2?. Others might be employed at additionai points along the height of the stack. They are preferably but not necessarily disposed substantially vertically over the ends of the dispensing opening 25. In this manner they release pressure effectively between the bottom'most towel of the stack and the front edge 27 and back edge 26 of opening 25.

It should be pointed out that folded paper towels could be dispensed from the cabinet even with a stack of reasonable height resting upon them. However, the pressure due to the weight of a larger stack tends to cause tearing of some of the towels resulting in dispensing discontinuity. Alternatively, multiple dispensing occurs since the friction between adjacent towels causes the succeeding one to be withdrawn simultaneously. The stack pres sure release means provides end support on the towels, reducing pressure between the towels and, thereby, friction. This reduces or eliminates multiple dispensing. Therefore, stack pressure release means are preferably provided in the cabinet of the invention.

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the disposition of different types of folded paper towels within the towel dispenser of the invention and illustrate the relative position of various elements of the dispenser in order to provide for reliable dispensing continuity of these towels. It should be understood that the following types of towels are described only for purposes of illustration and that application of the principles of the invention might be made to dispense many different types of folded towels. In the drawings, the basic types of folded towels are illustrated by a single line to avoid undue complication in description. However, each folded towel shown might be, and often is, initially formed from a larger sheet folded in half to form the sheet illustrated in the drawings. Alternatively, the sheet might be multi-ply.

FIGURE 7 illustrates the type of towel referred to as a single-fold towel. The single-fold towel 35 comprises a sheet of paper having a fold 36 along a line substantially through its center and parallel to opposing sides thereof leaving flaps 37 and 38 of substantially equal dimensions on either side of the fold 36. When formed into a stack for dispensing from the cabinet, successive towels are arranged with one flap 38 positioned between the closed flaps 37 and 38 of the preceding towel so that the fold lines 36 of successive towels 35 are disposed alternately at the front and rear of the stack 34. The lowermost flap 37 of the bottom towel in the stack is drawn through the dispensing opening 25 initially to commence dispensing. As that bottom towel is withdrawn from the cabinet by grasping the exposed fiap 37 thereof, the bottom flap 37 of the next succeeding towel is drawn through the dispensing opening 25 prior to complete disengage ment therewith by the towel being withdrawn.

Folded towels of the single-fold type normally have a greater stack depth from the front to the rear of the cabinet. Therefore the back wall 15 of the cabinet is normally fixed in its-rearwardmost position as shown in FIGURE 7. When the back wall 15 is in this position, the rear stack support means or flanges 21 are exposed and. contact the rear edge of the bottomrnost towel 35 in the stack 34, supporting it above the rear portion of the bottom wall 12. This causes the towels in the lower portion of the stack 34 to be bent so that they have a downvardly curving or concave cross-section as shown in FIG- URE 7. This is further caused by slight compression of the bottom towels in the stack between the front wall 16 and the back wall 15, reducing some stack pressure on the bottommost towel. The elevation of the rear edge of the bottomrnost towel in the stack is desirable to relieve undue pressure on the bottommost towel in the region adjacent the back edge 26 of the dispensing opening 25. It also makes it easier to withdraw the bottommost towel 35 while insuring that the bottom flap 37 of the succeeding towel 35 is pulled out of the cabinet thereby insuring reliable dispensing continuity. The reduction of pressure on the back edge 26 tends to reduce or eliminate tearing of the towel 35 during dispensing.

To further reduce pressure on the bottornmost towel 35 during dispensing to achieve the above-mentioned advantages, the stack pressure release means 28, illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 and in greater detail in FIG- URES 4 and 5, are arranged for engagement with the end edges of the towels 35 in the stack 34 in the manner described above. Thus, the respective outwardly depending portions 30 are mechanically engaged or interlocked with the sidewalls 13 and 14 of the cabinet so as to support the respective resilient portions 29 in an inward position which, in turn, liftingly engage the ends of the towels 35 in the stack 34 as they pass through that portion of the cabinet during dispensing. The front edge 27 of the dispensing opening 25 is spaced from the front face of the stack 34 and the back edge 26 is disposed substantial ly at the middle of the stack 34. The relative position of the back wall 15 in combination with the rear stack support means 21 and the dispensing opening 25 of the towel 40. When formed into a stack 45 for dispensing from the cabinet, successive towels 40 are arranged with their flaps 43 and 44 depending from and folded back over onto bottom of the stack 45 so that the flaps 43 and 44 of the bottornmost towel 40 are exposed or presented through the dispensing opening 25. As illustrated in FIGURE 8 the C-fold towel may be withdrawn by gripping either one of the two exposed flaps 43 and 44 of the bottommost towel 40. Upon removal of the bottornmost towel 40, the next succeeding towel 40 presents its flaps 43 and 44 through the dispensing opening 25.

Folded towels 4 of the C-fold type normally have an unfolded length less than the unfolded length of the singlefold towel and therefore result in a lesser stack depth from the front to the rear of the cabinet. Therefore, in order to properly position the bottornmost towel of the stack relative to the boundaries of the dispensing opening 25, the back wall 15 is advanced forwardly and held in place by the intermediate set of slots 24. This positions the rear edge of the bottornmost towel 46 of the stack 45 sufliciently close to the back edge 26 of the dispensing opening 25 that the flap 43 extends out into the opening 25 but sufficient friction is maintained between the flap 43 and the bottom wall 12 that the towel 40 is retained within the cabinet. In this embodiment, with this type of towel, the stack pressure release means 28 are withdrawn into the sides 13 and 14 of the cabinet and out of engagement with the end edges of the towels 40 in the stack 45.

The flaps 43 and 44 of the C-folded towel are relatively short. Elevation of the towels within the cabinet, as by stack pressure release means 28 or by rear stack support means 21 would move the flaps out of range for convenient grasping by a user. It has been found preferable to relieve some stack pressure by compression of the lower portion of the stack between front wall 16 and back wall 15. This compression also slightly downwardly curves the towels in a concave manner, reducing friction between the edges of the dispensing opening 25 while exposing the flaps 43 and 44 for grasping. The flaps 43 and 44 of the towel 40 are not interleaved with the flaps 43 and 44 succeeding towels 4t) and do not therefore require substantial deformation of the towel during dispensing which is required in other instances. In addition, the rear edge of the bottornmost towel 46 of the stack 45 rests directly upon the bottom wall 12 and is not supported in an elevated position by the upstanding stack support means 21 which are spaced in this instance rearwardly of the back wall 15.

FIGURE 9 illustrates the type of towel referred to as a multi-fold towel. The mul-ti-fold towel 46 comprises a sheet of paper having a central portion 52 and two opposite but parallel folds 47 and 48 arranged along lines spaced inwardly from opposite and parallel sides of the sheet, leaving flaps 49 and 50, having a length equal to about /s of the length of the towel 46, depending from and folded back over onto opposing surfaces of the towel. When formed into a stack 51 for dispensing from the cabinet, successive towels 46 are arranged with their downwardly depending flaps 49 folded against the bot-tom surface of the towel so that the flap 49 of the bottornmost towel 46 is presented at and extends through the dis pensing opening 25. As illustrated in FIGURE 9, the multi-fold towel 46 may be withdrawn from the cabinet by gripping the exposed flap 49 of the bottommost towel 46. Upon removal of the bottornmost towel 46, the next succeeding towel 46 projects its lower flap 49 through the dispensing opening 25.

The upper flap 5!) of the multi-fold towel 46 in the stack 51 is interleaved between the lower flap 49 of the next succeeding towel 46 and the central portion 52 of that towel 46 so that when the lowermost towel 46 is withdrawn, it pulls the lower flap 49 of the next succeeding towel 46 through the dispensing opening 25. Folded towels of the multi-fold type normally are formed into a stack 51 having a lesser stack depth from the front to the rear of the cabinet. Therefore, in order to properly position the bottornmost towel 46 of the stack 51 relative to the boundaries of the dispensing opening 25, the back wall 15 is advanced forwardly and held in place by the forwardmost set of slots 24. This positions the rear edge of the bottornmost towel 46 of the stack 51 sufficiently close to the back edge 26 of the dispensing opening 25 such that the towel 46 is held within the cabinet until its exposed flap 49 is gripped and pulled, but the flap 49 of the next succeeding towel 46 in the stack 51 can be drawn from beneath the stack 51 and through the dispensing opening 25 without causing the towel 46 to tear. With this type of towel, the stack pressure release means 23 are arranged for engagement with the end edges of the towels 46 in the stack 51 in a manner similar to that described with reference to FIGURE 7. This causes the central portion of the stack 51 across the width of the stack 51 to be lifted upwardly so that sufficient room is provided for the necessary deformation of the towel 46 during dispensing. Compression of the lower portion of the towel stack between front Wall 16 and back wall 15 also relieves stack pressure and improves dispensing.

The shape of the dispensing opening 25 as defined by the front edge 27 and the back edge 26 has considerable effect on the successful operation of the dispensing cabinet of the invention. It is important that the dispensing opening have a generally greater width toward its center than at its ends. This allows sufficient room for a user to grasp a towel flap exposed at the central portion of the opening while providing means adjacent the ends of the dispensing opening for supporting the towel stack and for preventing multiple dispensing.

More particularly, the preferred form of the dispensing opening 25 of the invention has a front edge which has a concave curvature toward the front wall in its central portion and has a convex curvature at each end thereof. The back. edge of the dispensing opening inclines rearwardly toward the center of the cabinet, and can be in the shape of a very shallow V as shown in FIGURE 3. The convex portions of the front edge 27 form rearwardly extending support flaps in bottom wall 12 which support the stack at each end thereof adjacent the narrow portions of the dispensing opening 25. The spacing of the front edge 27 from the back edge 26 in the central portion of the dispensing opening 25 is preferably great enough to expose grippable portions of each downwardly depending flap of a C-fold towel. Such portions might have a length of about /2 inch or more. This allows a user to dispense this type of towel by gripping either the front or the rear flap thereof.

There are several advantages to a dispensing opening of the above-described configuration. In addition to the convenient gripping of flaps on a C-fold towel, the width of the opening in its central portion allows the bottommost towel of a stack of single-fold or multi-fold towels to become more exposed and to make its downwardly depending flap more accessible to a user. The narrower end portions of the opening serve to support the stack in the cabinet and to provide suflicient gripping action on the next towel in the stack to prevent multiple dispensing. The front edge 27 is concavely curved primarily to reduce or eliminate bunching and wrinkling of the towels during dispensing which would often result in tearing. As towels are generally pulled toward the front of the cabinet during dispensing, only the front edge need have this shape.

From the above description, it will be apparent that many alterations may be made in the specific apparatus described above without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Therefore, the precise description of the embodiment of the invention shown is not intended to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A paper towel cabinet including a housing having front, back, side, top and bottom walls, the bottom wall of said housing having an elongated dispensing opening therein extending across a major portion of the width of said cabinet, said dispensing opening having a back edge and a front edge, said back edge being spaced from the rearwardmost edge of said bottom wall, said dispensing opening having a generally greater width toward its center than at its ends, said back wall being pivotably mounted so that its lower end adjacent said dispensing opening is adapted for movement through an arc path relatively toward and away from said front wall, latch means for maintaining the lower end of said back wall in one of at least two discrete positions along its arc path, said discrete positions lying between the rearwardmost edge of said bottom wall and the back edge of said dispensing opening, and stack support means extending upwardly from the rearward portion of said bottom wall and adapted to support in an elevated position the rearward edge of a stack of towels carried in said cabinet at least when said back wall is disposed in its rearwardmost position, whereby said cabinet is capable of dispensing any one of at least two types of folded paper towels by adjustment of the position of said back wall.

2. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 1, including stack pressure release means arranged to operate on each end of said stack of towels and adapted to reduce stack pressure on the bottom sheet of the stack, said release means being mounted in said cabinet for selective engagement with said stack when said back wall is in at least one of its positions.

3. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 2, wherein said stack pressure release means are adapted to act upon the end edges of the towels in the stack.

4. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 2, wherein latch means are provided for maintaining the lower end of said back wall in three discrete positions along its arc path and lying between the rearwardmost edge of said bottom wall and the back edge of said dispensing opening, and said stack pressure release means are adapted to engage said stack when said back wall is disposed alternatively in the forwardmost and the rearwardmost of said three discrete positions.

5. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 4, wherein said cabinet is adapted to dispense folded paper towels of the single-fold, C-fold, and multi-fold types, in which single-fold towels are dispensed when said back plate is in its rearwardmost position and the rear edge of the bottommost towel of said stack is supported by said stack support means in an elevated position above said bottom wall and said stack pressure release means engage the ends of said stack, C-fold towels are dispensed when said back plate is in an intermediate position and said stack pressure release means are withdrawn from engagement with said stack and the rear edge of the bottommost towel of said stack contacts said bottom wall, and multi-fold towels are dispensed when said back plate is in its forwardmost position and said stack pressure release means engage the ends of said stack and the rear edge of the bottommost towel of said stack contacts said bottom Wall adjacent the back edge of said dispensing opening.

6. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said latch means comprise at least one movable latch member attached to said back wall and at least one corresponding set of slots in at least one of said sidewalls into which said movable latch member may be selectively disposed for the dispensing of a given type of folded paper towel.

7. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said rear stack support means comprise at least one flange member depending upwardly from said bottom wall, said back wall having a cut-out portion allowing forward movement of said back wall behind and beyond the forwardmost extension of said flange member.

8. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the front edge of said dispensing opening has a concave curvature toward said front wall, and the back edge of said dispensing opening inclines rearwardly from each side toward the center of the cabinet.

9. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said dispensing opening has a front edge and a back edge, the central portion of said front edge having a concave curvature toward said front wall, said front edge having a convex curvature near the ends thereof, said back edge inclining rearwardly from each side toward the center of the cabinet, said edges outlining a dispensing opening having a wide central portion and relatively narrow portions at each end thereof.

10. A towel cabinet according to claim 9, wherein the width of the central portion of said dispensing opening is sufficiently great to expose a grippable portion of each downwardly depending flap of a C-fold towel to be dispensed therefrom.

11. A paper towel cabinet according to claim 9, wherein the end portions of said front edge having a convex curvature define support flaps which support stacks of towels on the ends thereof to present the central portion to a user and to prevent multiple dispensing thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,681,840 8/1928 Carlson 221-53 X 2,143,614 1/1939 Winter et al. 221-53 2,151,352 3/1939 McKool 31242 2,295,005 9/1942 Peacock et al 221-48 X 3,028,047 4/1962 Tuft 221-44 3,115,998 12/1963 Joyce et a1 221-44 X 3,269,592 8/ 1966 Slye et al. 221-44 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

